It appears Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama will be ready for the start of the 2025-26 season. The French phenom sat out the second half of the 2025-26 season after being diagnosed with right shoulder deep vein thrombosis.
Wemby recently broke his silence on the scary blood clot-related issue and provided an update on his recovery.
“I’m able to do hard work, hard lifting, and also basketball work,” Wemby told reporters on Sunday, via EuroHoops’ Johnny Askounis. “It’s all very controlled and light. Sometimes, I feel like I would like to do more. It’s logical, a medical direction.”
“We’re taking our time,” he continued. “I’m neither late nor early. It’s a process. There are definitely steps to reach that.”
Wemby confirmed he had yet to be cleared for contact, but was feeling optimistic about a full recovery ahead of the 2025-26 season.
In 46 games as a sophomore, Wemby averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals. Many felt he was a lock to win Defensive Player of the Year and possibly lead the Spurs to a playoff berth before his injury. For Wemby, the abrupt health scare gave him a new outlook and may have prepared him for other challenges.
How Wemby Dealt With Scare
“It’s something really hard. I’m not going to lie and say it is easy. But I can say I was ready for it,” Wemby said of dealing with his setback.
“It is part of my job to be ready for injuries and such,” he continued. “By no means was it easy to learn and process that. But by no means was I not ready. I think I did and I’m still doing the best we can do, taking care of my body, trusting the incredible work of the medical staff.”
The 21-year-old defensive ace expounded further on his blood clot diagnosis and confirmed that he won’t undergo shoulder surgery.
“There’s many more things than surgery when you go to a hospital for a blood clot. I am not going to expand on my medical record, but I definitely did some visits to the hospitals, to the doctors, and to the specialists.”
Wemby Gains New Perspective
“I had symptoms, so I kind of looked into it before. I wouldn’t say I was shocked, but to hear from the mouth of professionals is different, for sure,” he added.
The health scare, Wemby says, prepared him to deal with any adversities in the future. However, he did not speak on the possibility of the blood clots resurfacing.
“Unfortunately, most of us need something like that [a health scare] to happen to them, to realize some things. In the long run, it’s going to be good for me,” he concluded.
The Spurs are expected to be a force to be reckoned with in the 2025-26 season. The franchise has the roster flexibility to potentially acquire a third star via free agency or trade to pair with Wemby and De’Aaron Fox. To that end, the Spurs have been linked with Kevin Durant, who is expected to seek a trade from the Suns.
San Antonio could emerge as a legitimate title contender with a potential Big Three of Wemby, Fox and Durant.
Victor Wembanyama Breaks Silence After Blood Clots Scare